Button Halos

[brock.sampson]

How do I make button halos that follow the outline of the cluster?  Using the ultimate button layout and I want to make a halo that follows just the button cluster.  I have an old copy of photoshop and illustrator cs3.  I have been trying a few things but nothing is really working correctly.  Anybody have some helpful hints?

[dfmaverick]

If you are using illustrator, try this:

Create an exact duplicate of your button layout with circles. Then for each button enlarge that circle to the radius you desire around the button so they overlap. Select all the enlarged circles (six in your case), and select from the pathfinder pallette(window/pathfinder), combine: unite. This will combine those circles that overlap into one outlined shape around the six buttons and you can modify it from there.

[wol-nz]

I know this is quick and crude - but you will get the idea.
In Photoshop the easiest way is to make your buttons (the white circles) then one by one select them with the magic wand tool then use MENU item  select -> modify -> expand
Once it has an expanded selection you can fill that with another color (say yellow in this case)
Then you can select the yellow and expand again and fill with pink.

Obviously these are low res but you get the idea and i missed out the 6th button so you could see it in action.
If you don't have Photoshop then use the next best FREE alternative google GIMP
Good luck